Internal-combustion engine



II. C. MICHELSEN. INTERNAL coMBusloN ENGHIE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.I7. 1921.

1,406,271 Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

58 Fa'g. 1 A 2 v ing is a description, such as will enable PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY c. MrcHELsEN, or YoNxEns, NEW YORK.

',INTERNAL-CCMBUSTION ENGINE.

specificati@ of Letters Patent. lhynted Feb, 14, 1922f Application led January 17, 1921. ySerial No. 437.988.

State of New York, have invented -certain..

new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the followotheig's skilled in the'art to which it appertains to make and .use the saine.

This invention relates to; internal-combustionengines and the objects of the invention are to provide new `and improved means for supporting the cam shaft which actuates the intake andexhaust valves of the engine cyl! inders in. such 'a manner as not to be directly connected tothe engine cylinders, to there-- by obviate the cam shaft and connecting parts which actuate the intake and exhaust valves being effected by heat changes iii the engine cylinders. v

To the accomplishment o-f the above objects and to such others as may hereinafter appear the invention comprises one or more engine cylinders supported upon a suitablecrank. case which is also arranged to support, independent of said engine cylinders, a suitable cam shaft arranged with connecting parts to actuate suitable overhead intake and exhaust walves situated in the top of the engine cylinders. l

Referring to the drawings: v Figure 1 is a side elevation partly insection of an internal combustion engine made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an vend' view of the left end of Figure 1.

igure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale with parts broken away for clearness in illustration.

Figure 4 is a detail view, looking in the direction of the arrow show-n in Figure 3. with parts broken .away for clearness of illustration. Figure 5 is adetail View, on-the line 5-5 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrow, with parts broken away for cleai'nessof illustration. 7 i

In the drawings 1 designates a suitable crank case in which is suitably journaled a crank shaft 2. Inthe present' instance the top of thel crank case 1 isA arranged to support four engine cylinders 3 securely bolted thereto by means of suitable bolts 4. wEach engine cylinder is provided with a piston 5 having a connecting 'rod 6 journaled at its lower end to the crank shaft 2 in the usual manner.`

In. the present instance each engine cylin der is provided with a removable cylinder head 7 secured in position by means of bolts 8. vEach cylinder head 7 is provided with a suitable spark plug connection 9 arranged to engage a Suitable spark plug 10. Each cylinder head 7 is also provided with suitable intake and exhaust valve seats 11 and 12 arranged to engage intake and exhaust valves 13 and 14 having valve stems 15 and 16 suitablyjournaled in elongated bearings 17 and 18 `situated in the present instance at right angles to each other ad-jactsiitable' intakev and exhaust ports 19 and 20. The outer ends of the valve stems 15 and 16 are each provided with a cap 21 secured thereto which is arranged to engage the outer end of a co1led spring- 22 surrounding the valve stem which normally acts to keep the vvalve on its seat.

In the present instance, and in accordance with the invention a valve cam shaft 23 is suitably journaled in bearings supported at each end upon suitable standards 24 and 25 suitably bolted by means of bolts 26 to the top of the crank case. 4In the present instance the standard' 24 is arranged'to supeach enginefcylinder. The intake and exhaust rocker 4arms 32 vand 33 are each pivotally. supported upon fiat rocker springs 34 and 35 secured at one end tothe valve cam shaft housing'31 by means of bolts 36 and at rocker arms by means of bolts 37. Each pairv of rocker arms is arranged to be operated by means of one of a. series of valve cams 38 secured to the valve cam Shaft 23.

The valve cams 38 are each arranged to enage a pair of .valve plungers 39 and .40 slidably mounted in suitable plunger cylinarmsj32 and 33- arranged in pairs on opposite vsides of said valve cam shaft housing above the other end t'o the middle portion of said ders 41 and 42 secured to the valve cam i shaft housing 3l.

The inner` ends of the rocker arms 32 and 33 .are lprofvided with adjustable set screws 43' yand 44 each of which is arranged to engage the outer end of its respective valve plunger. The outer ends of the rocker arms 32 and 33 are each provided with a raised bearing' surface 45 which acts to engage the. end of its respective valve stem.

The setting of the rocker arms '32 and 33 with the ends of their respective valve stems 15 and 16 being accomplished by adjusting in each instance the adjustable set screw 43 and 44. c

The valve cams 38 are each arranged on the valve cam shaft, as is well known, to operate the valves of said engine cylinders so that explosions will take place at certain predetermined times, each valve cam 38 heing designed to open and close its respective intake and exhaust valve` at certain predeterminedl times to accomplish this purpose.

, In the present instance the valves are oper ated on the well known four Vcycle system and need not further be described.

In the present instance the engine cylinders are lubricated by oil in the crank case which is kept at a certain level to be engaged by the crank shaft and splashed into the moving parts of the engine cylinders.

A suitable oil pump 46 operated through the medium of a small gear 47 is provided which forces oil from the crank case up through a small ipe 48 to one end of the valve cam shaft ousing, the oil returning to the crank case throughthe standard 24 thereby oiling in its passage the valve plungers 39 and 40 the valve cams 38, the valve cam shaftv bearings and the train of gears operating the same.

From the above description it will be seen that the valve' camshaft 23 and connecting parts including the rocker arms 32 and 33 are supported on the crank case l by means of the standards 24 and 25 entirely independent of the engine cylinders so as not to be affected by heat changes in the latter.

Due to the fact that the valve cam shaft and connecting parts are supported independently of the engine cylinders it is obvious that these parts will not be heated to any appreciable degree, no matter how hot the engine cylinders may Y become ,The present arrangement of the valve cam shaft and connecting parts lalso obviates distortion of the valve cam shaft due to unequal heat-l ing of the same as is the case where the valve cam shaft is connected to the engine cylinders and due to various causes one vor more of the engine cylinders refuses to-function, thereby causing unequal heating and corresponding unequal expansion ofl the A valve cam shaft which acts to interfere with the setting of the valves.

It is also to be noted that the present arrangement ermits of the valve cam shaft and connectlng parts being easily lubricated as the oil is not heated to the extent of deteriorating its lubricating qualities.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the details of construction the same is not to be 'considered as limited thereto as many changs can be made and still fall within the scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is: I

1. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination a crank case, engine' cylinders supported on saidcrank case, 1ntake and exhaust valves situated in the heads of said engine-cylinders, a valve cam shaft, a valve cam shaft housing surrounding said valve cam shaft, rocker arms supported on said valve cam shaft housing above said intake and exhaust valves, means connected to said valve cam shaft and said valve lcam shaft housing for operating said rocker arms to'a'ctuate said valves, standards for supporting said valve cam shaft, said valve cam shaft housing, said rocker arms and the means for operatin said rocker arms upon said crank casc in ependent of said engine cylinders and means for operating said valve cam shaft enclosed in one of said standards. 2. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination a crank case, engine cylinders supported on said crank case, in-

take and exhaust valve situated in the headsof said engine cylinders, a valve cam shaft., a valve cam shaft housing surroundlng said valve cam shaft, rocker arms supported on said valve cam shaft housing above said cam shaft enclosed in one vof said standards,

and means for forcing oil from said crank caseto' said valve cam shaft housing to be returned to said crank case through the standard enclosing said valve cam shaft op4 erating means.

Intestim'ony whereof I have signedthis speciicatiqn in the presence of twosub'- scribing witnesses. I n

' n C. MICHELSEN. Witnesses.: i

Lno J. Mem, Louis J. SoMERvInnE. 

